"Tennessee now has the dubious distinction of being the only state to outlaw cities when they want to spend their own money."

“Having done that, the legislature is now looking to torpedo another idea on which discussions had just started in Nashville: an “inclusionary zoning” ordinance that would require a percentage of new apartment buildings to be priced at below market rates, also common in urban areas where rents are rising quickly

“Worker advocates in Tennessee say that preemption laws have repeatedly stymied some of their most important efforts to tackle poverty and working conditions at the local level. Over the past several years Tennessee’s legislature passed laws banning localities from strengthening the enforcement of wage theft, requiring employers to provide paid sick leave, and mandating prevailing wages”

“You also see measures, for instance in Tennessee, where a city wanted to try to ensure that there were rewards for contractors who employed low-income workers or a small percentage - 10 percent - of low-income workers. That was preempted.”